In response to the draft guidelines from the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) regarding the revised provision of fertility treatment and IVF Dr Marie Wren, fertility expert at the Lister Fertility Clinic, London has spoken to totalhealth.
I think that the NHS should offer equal access to effective treatment to all infertile couples and the woman’s age should not be the reason why couples are denied treatment, even though success rates are lower in older women. Older patients with other medical problems are not denied help based on age alone. When dealing with infertile patients, I think that GP’s and general gynaecologists should try to make a diagnosis as soon as possible and wherever necessary they should refer patients for specialist assessment quickly, this would minimise delay in women getting onto a waiting list.
